Blue
by red rose knight
Summary: Obi-Wan doles out punishment to a troublesome padawan.


**Blue**

"I'm sorry."

"Yes, Padawan, I know you are."

"Really! I didn't know."

"I specifically told you not too do it."

"The Force told me to do it."

Obi-Wan Kenobi frowned at the grinning admission of his ten-year-old padawan learner. "I sincerely doubt that," he said, folding his arms across his chest, he pressed against the wall. A heavy sigh welled up when he saw the deep blue stains covering his tunic sleeves.

From that vantage point, he could see Anakin's feet kicking at the air from the matching bench opposite him.

Was the boy ever still?

He caught sight of movement out of his eye and peered down the long corridor only to find several padawan's quickly looking away but unable to stifle grins. Exhaling loudly, his attention returned to his padawan as he reached up and lightly scratched behind his ear.

Anakin's lips twisted as he struggled not to smile.

"Do not laugh," the young master warned.

"Sorry." A snicker escaped. The boy shifted uncomfortably, the pent up energy getting the best of him.

Maybe he should suggest the boy go meditate, but then he doubted that would work. Still, Anakin needed to burn off some of his energy. "Why don't you go to the practice halls and work out."

"You trust me?" came the suspicious question.

"No, but right now I do not care." Pressing a weary hand to his face, he paused and brought it back studying the bright shade of blue that stained his fingers and palm. It would take a week of meditations to work the color out, a month if he let it naturally wear out.

The shuffle of feet drew his attention, but was surprised to see Anakin still sitting on the bench across from him. Instead, it seemed he had picked up an admirer in the form of a blue skinned, Twi'lek girl. The tiny initiate curiously studied him.

He could feel the heat flush his cheeks and wondered if they were purple. "Can I help you?"

She giggled.

Obi-Wan sadly shook his head but a smirk from Anakin drew a chastising look. "Careful, Padawan," he warned.

"Yes, Master," came the appropriate reply as the sandy haired youth glanced away, fighting a smile.

Leaning forward, the Jedi planted his elbows on his knees and just stared back at the wide-eyed girl.

"Pretty color," she said softly.

Soft snickers turned into muffled chortles and finally gut busting laughter as Anakin broke down.

With a frown, Obi-Wan focused on the girl, motioning to her close. She easily obeyed. "What is your name?" asked, leaning close to her cherubic face.

"Fanla," she conspiratorially whispered back.

"What a lovely name," he purred. Eyeing his joyfully convulsing padawan, he whispered something to the girl. She eagerly nodded and ran off. When the girl was out of sight, he turned back to Anakin and said, "Try not to fall off the bench."

Wiping tears from his eyes, the boy pushed himself back into a sitting position. "I'm sorry, but—"

"But we need to think of a suitable punishment for disobeying orders."

A pained noise escaped Anakin as he quickly sobered. "Punishment?"

Obi-Wan scratched at his cheek. He could feel the rise of hundreds of tiny bumps that carried with them a terrible itch.

"But it was an accident!"

"I think the floor of the Council chambers could be scrubbed with a very tiny brush."

"Master!" The apprentice folded his arms across his chest and sank back against the wall. "It's not like I killed anyone one," he grumbled.

"Not yet," Obi-Wan growled as he chased the itching down the side of his neck.

Anakin straightened, meeting his master with an even look. "Okay, I admit that I deserve to be punished. But cleaning the Council chambers? That's a bit much."

"You know what you did was wrong."

"I know!"

"Yet, you still did it."

"It seemed like a good idea at the time."

Obi-Wan ignored the last comment as he tugged at his tunic collar. "She's doing this to me on purpose," he muttered as he scratched at his left collarbone. But he could feel it crawling down his side. "How did it get down there?" he wondered out loud, clawing at his side.

"Healer Bant told you not to scratch."

"You, hush."

"But she—"

"Is sitting in her office drinking kaf." The Jedi stopped and stared at his blue hand. He was afraid to look in a mirror knowing he was blue from the hair down. "She's punishing me for something," he muttered as he sought out another itch at the base of his sternum.

"I didn't know you were allergic to ghava juice."

"Does not matter, Padawan. I told you not to shake up the bottle."

"I wanted to make sure it was good and mixed."

"You did not have to aim it at me." He scratched at the back of his neck, desperately trying to ignore Anakin's continued giggles. "A week in the crèche would be a fitting punishment."

Little footsteps scampering across the floor drew the Jedi's attention as Fanla approached. The small Twi'lek grinned as she drew close. Obi-Wan smiled, briefly resting a blue hand on her shoulder. "What sort of punishment do you think my padawan deserves for breaking the rules?

Fanla shrugged.

"How about you let me off if I promise never to do it again?" Anakin suggested.

Obi-Wan considered it for a moment. "I have a better idea." Shifting the girl out of the way, he revealed a small bottle, bloated under pressure in her tiny grip. With a nudge of the Force, the lid popped off.

Horrified shrieks rippled through the corridor as frothy, blue juice spewed all over the apprentice. "Master!" a sopping wet Anakin cried out as the intense blue liquid stained his skin leaving him the same shade of blue as his master. "I am not allergic to ghava."

"No, but you will be blue for a month if you don't meditate." Helping the little Twi'lek girl up on the bench next to him, Obi-Wan cradled her against his side. Eyeing the initiate, he gave her a teasing wink. "You really shook that bottle up real, didn't you?"

She looked at him and nodded, then over at the dripping padawan and cooed, "Pretty."

Anakin groaned. "I think I would rather have cleaned the floor."

_–End–_


End file.
